IT Specialist (Appsw)

This position is located in the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Office of Information and Technology (OIT) within theses services: Product Delivery Service (PDS), Digital Transformation Center (DTC), Platform as a Service (PaaS). The incumbent will serve as Senior Information Technology (IT) Specialist. The purpose of the position is to develop, coordinate, and monitor, assess and elevate development schedules for applications assigned to OIT. OIT Mission: To fulfill President Lincoln's promise "To care for those who have served in our nation's military and for their families, caregivers, and survivors" by serving and honoring the men and women who are America's Veterans. How would you like to become a part of a team providing compassionate whole health care to Veterans? OIT Vision: To become a world-class organization that provides a seamless, unified Veteran experience through the delivery of state-of-the-art technology. The incumbent will manage a variety of high-level IT projects with management, lead the coordination and execution of critical development activities. The incumbent assistssenior management with efforts to ensure adherence to required and appropriate development processes, change and configuration management processes, development of resource allocation and schedule commitments. Major Duties: Manage program/project management and systems lifeycles to include: Acquisition, development, modification, enhancement, deployment or decommissioning of a product, service or system which may be COTS or internally developed. Provide ongoing optimization and problem-solving support. Participate in the acquisition process as necessary. Lead and oversee budget, staffing, and contracting. Capable of vendor management (especially where platforms are supported by different contractors). Ability to perform cross-functional team coordination across engineering, security, and business stakeholders. Proactively identifies risks, removes blockers, and escalates issues through the appropriate chain to keep product requests on schedule. Develop methods to monitor and measure risk, compliance, and assurance efforts. Provide recommendations for possible improvements and upgrades. Analyze and develop efficient IT solutions using a mastery of knowledge of hardware, software, operating systems and peripherals. This position is primarily aligned to the following NICE Cybersecurity Workforce Framework work roles: Cybersecurity Code: 621- Software Developer: Develops, creates, maintains, and writes/codes new (or modifies existing) computer applications, software, or specialized utility programs. For more information about these work roles, where they fit within the larger Cyber Workforce, and how they can support your unique career journey, please visit the Cyber Career Pathways tool on the National Initiative for Cybersecurity Careers and Studies website: Cyber Career Pathways Tool | NICCS Work Schedule: Monday-Friday, 8:00am-4:30pm Compressed/Flexible: As determined by the Agency Policy Telework: Adhoc telework may be authorized at management discretion. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: IT Specialist (Appsw)/PD18421A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized Physical Demands: The work is essentially sedentary but involves occasional moving and lifting. Travel to facilities and national, VISN and local meetings is required. Working Conditions: Most work is performed in an office setting. Travel is required for meetings, consultations, installations, and evaluations of software modules. Designated Drug Testing Position: Not applicable This is NOT a bargaining unit eligible position. To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 10/16/2026. You must meet the Basic Requirements Experience and Specialized Experience to qualify for this series as described below: Basic Requirements Experience: Experience must be IT related; the experience may be demonstrated by paid or unpaid experience and/or completion of specific, intensive training (for example, IT certification), as appropriate. For all positions individuals must have IT-related experience demonstrating each of the five competencies listed below. The employing agency is responsible for identifying the specific level of proficiency required for each competency at each grade level based on the requirements of the position being filled. Attention to Detail • Is thorough when performing work and conscientious about attending to detail. Customer Service • Works with clients and customers (that is, any individuals who use or receive the services or products that your work unit produces, including the general public, individuals who work in the agency, other agencies, or organizations outside the Government) to assess their needs, provide information or assistance, resolve their problems, or satisfy their expectations; knows about available products and services; is committed to providing quality products and services. Oral Communication • Expresses information (for example, ideas or facts) to individuals or groups effectively, taking into account the audience and nature of the information (for example, technical, sensitive, controversial); makes clear and convincing oral presentations; listens to others, attends to nonverbal cues, and responds appropriately. Problem Solving • Identifies problems; determines accuracy and relevance of information; uses sound judgment to generate and evaluate alternatives, and to make recommendations. AND Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-13 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: Familiar with Low-code process automation, API management, Declarative configuration (flows, validation rules), Platform architecture, AI implementation. Understands PaaS platform capabilities and how they impact DTC processes, governance standards, and delivery decisions • enough to guide Business Owners and collaborate effectively with COEs and System Integrators. Expertly guides product/project requests through the full PaaS lifecycle • triage through deployment and sustainment. Capable of vendor management (especially where platforms are supported by different contractors). Ability to perform cross-functional team coordination across engineering, security, and business stakeholders. Effectively conduct change management and stakeholder communication. Execute budget/contract oversight for multiple platform licenses and SOWs. Familiar with NIST, FISMA, FEdRAMP, Section 508 compliance and security standards and PII/PHI data privacy handling. Proactively identifies risks, removes blockers, and escalates issues through the appropriate chain to keep product requests on schedule. Serves as the primary point of contact and trusted advocate for Business Owners, building durable relationships from intake through sustainment. Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religions; spiritual; community; student; social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. Note: A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. Part-time experience will be credited on the basis of time actually spent in appropriate activities. Applicants wishing to receive credit for such experience must indicate clearly the nature of their duties and responsibilities in each position and the number of hours a week spent in such employment. For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/. You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job To be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and questionnaire, this position requires an online assessment. The online assessment measures critical general competencies required to perform the job. Physical Requirements: The work required does not inherently include any physical requirements essential for successful job performance that could not otherwise be performed with accommodation or workplace adjustment. A pre-placement physical examination is not required. You may be required to serve a probationary period Subject to background/security investigation Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued dentification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment. As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider: your performance and conduct; the needs and interests of the agency; whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service. Upon completion of your probationary period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest. There is no educational substitution at this grade level.